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MLB mulls Olympic move that could produce Lee-Ohtani showdown

Published: 16 Jul. 2025, 15:21

San Francisco Giants center fielder Lee Jung-hoo celebrates after hitting a two-run triple against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on July 11. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Could baseball fans witness a clash between two Asian MLB stars on the Olympic stage?

Fans are daring to imagine it — Lee Jung-hoo in the Korean uniform, Shohei Ohtani leading Japan — as the league edges closer to letting its players compete at the 2028 Summer Games.

For decades, MLB has kept its talent off the Olympic field. But that may soon change. Commissioner Rob Manfred, speaking to reporters Tuesday at Truist Park in Atlanta ahead of the All-Star Game, signaled a shift.

“It is possible to take it, to play the All-Star Game in its normal spot, have a single break that would be longer, obviously, but still play 162 games without bleeding into the middle of November,” Manfred said. “It would require significant accommodations, but it’s possible.”

Baseball, which was left off the slate for the 2024 Paris Olympics, is set to return in Los Angeles as an official event, with games scheduled from July 15 to 20 at Dodger Stadium. The stakes — and the setting — have amplified calls for MLB stars to suit up.

The league’s past position has been firm. During the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, only players not on 40-man rosters were allowed to participate. No major leaguers took part when Korea clinched gold at the Beijing Games in 2008.

But Los Angeles offers a different backdrop: a home-soil Olympics in the beating heart of baseball country, under the lights of one of the sport’s most storied cathedrals. Momentum is building, and MLB is exploring an extended All-Star break to carve out time for The Games.

For Korean fans, the prospect is electric — Lee, Kim Hye-seong and Kim Ha-seong in national colors. On the other side, a Japanese roster headlined by Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki looms as a dream matchup.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KO BONG-JUN [[email protected]]